Vacuum-producing apparatus.



No. 874,986. PATBNTED DEC. 31, 1907.

G. A. PARSONS. VACUUM PRODUCING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17. 1906;

3 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 874,986. PATENTED DEC. 31, 1907. G. A. PARSONS.

VACUUM PRODUCING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 17.1906.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

16mm 11 %,MQL@ ZZ No. 874,986. PATENTED DEC. 31, 1907. O. A. PARSONS.

VACUUM PRODUCING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 1']. 1905.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

CHARLES ALGERNON PARSONS, or

NEWOASTLE-UPON-TYNE, ENGLAND.

vacutm-rnonucmc APPARATUS.-

I Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 31, 1907-.

Application filed June 17.1906. Serial 110.266.740.

To all whom 'it may concern."

Be it known that I, CHARLES ALGhRNoN PARSONS, of Heaton Works, Newcastle-upon- Tyne, in the county of Northumberland, England, have invented certain new and use fill Improvements in Vacuum-Producing Apparatus, of which the following is a specificavelocity tion.

The invention relates to the production of high vacua such as is necessary lIlOOIlClGIlSGIS, refrigerating apparatus or eva orator's.

In my Patent No. 741270 0 the year 1903 is described and claimed the use of my vacuum intensifier with and without an intermediate cooler or condenser. In addition to the advantage claimed in this atent, I have since found that the effect of t e vacuum intensifier on' the condenser is to draw oil the residual air to a much greater extent than is possible with ordinary pumps alone, and the. condensation takes place with much greater rapidity and allows a great reduction in the cooling surface, provided the circulating water is not diminished in volume and the of flow is about five feet per second throug the tubes, and the total quantity of circulating water is equal to about fifty times the feed.

The ob'ect of the invention is to produce a more big ly attenuated medium than has hitherto been commercially possible.

The invention consists in a specific arrangement of vacuum intensifiers whereby the maximum available attenuation isobtained in a chamber and this arrangement comprises vacuum intensifiers of the type described in my above mentioned patent arranged in series with intermediate coolers and stepped in size so as to deal in stages with the fluid evacuated from the chamber.

The invention, also consists in employing vacuum intensifiers arranged as above to eflect cooling b evaporation for the purpose of obtaining e cient refrigeration or cooling for cold storage or other purposes from steam.

The invention also consists in the arrange' ments of vacuum producing plant hereinafter described.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a section through atyp cal form of my vacuum intensifier for obtaining moderately high degrees of attenuation of vapor density. Fig. 2 is a modified form of the intensifier for dealing with very high degrees of attenuation of vapor density. Fig. 3 is a part sectional elevation illustrating an arrangeInent of vacuumintensifiers in series for producing a moderately high degree of atbeing shown in connection with an' evaporative chamber. Fig. 4 is a part sectional elevation showing an arrangement of vacuum intensifiers in series and having an intensifier for cooling the circulatingmedium of one of the coolers in order to,produce very high degrees of attenuation of vapor density. Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic elevation showing my invention similarto Fig. 4 but in connection with an eva orative chamber.

or more vacuum intensifiers in series, with intermediate coolers between each intensifier and the next as a means for obtaining higher vacua. I have found that with suitably shaped jets and neck pieces, when discharging into the usual vacua of condensers, it is possible in practice to obtain from two, to

three, one hundred, or more fold, of reduc- ,tion of vapor of exhaustion at one operation. Further, I have found that if I arrange a vacuum intensifier to discharge into a condenser fitted with an air pump, assisted by an intensifier, as described in myprevious patent, referred to above, the condenser containing a vapor density of 1 mercury, I ob- -tain a. vapor density in the suction of the added intensifier or augmenter of from onetenth to one fiftieth of an inch of mercury or even less.

Though I have mentioned above that with 'two intensifiers and two coolers a vapor density of under one-tenth of an inch of mercury or less was obtained, yet, in some of the experiments with the suction of theintensifier blanked off, the mercury column showed equal or even slightly greater height than the standard barometer, indicating a very high degree of attenuation of vapor density. If I add a third intensifier, and another condenser or cooler in series so as to discharge into the suction of the second intensifier, I obtain a still smaller vapor density and so on, the pressure of the steam in the jets being about 120 lbs. per square inch. I have made actual experiments with'three an arrangement of intensifiers, according to.

tenuation of vapor density, the intensifiers According to t is invention I combine two.

ion

intensifiers as described and have obtained a 'vapor density which I have measured by means of a eudometer and found equal to 0.4 millimeters of mercury. Inthe case of the higher vacuum intensifiers the diameter of the mouth. of the jet is much increased so as to allow of the extra. expanslon, this diameter being in some cases from twenty to fifty or even more times that of the narrowest part of the 'et. It should be generally understood that t e surface of the coolers must be suflicient to condense the steam from the jets with ease, and to cool the. vapor after comprression by the jet.

In'some cases thesteam om one or more of the intensifier iets may be condensed b spraying clean 'co dwater into the pipe; t e water spray then replaces an auxil ary surface condenser.

The size of the steam jets and the necks into which they discharge must beproportioned to the amount of vapor'with regard to its velocity and vaor' density. Generally the intensifiers will e increased in size and .in the amount of flare, and thecoolers will be. increased. in surface towards. the side of the apparatus of less vapor density, and the last cooler and'intensifier-will, in general be many times larger than the others.

;most convenient for obta' ees ofvacuum is shownin ig. 1. .It will 'The form of nozzle which I have found moderate dee seen that the nozzle a is of conical'form,

the cross sectional area' at the base b being, many times, say about .10 or evenmore times, the crosssectio'nal area of the narrowest art 0. This diverging nozzle opens into a plpe d in the walls of which the nozzle is 'sup' orted and through which it is required to aw vapor, air or other fluid from the chamber to be evacuated. The pipe (1 is. connected to another pipe ha ashort double converging part e, arra d gnear the. exit from the steam nozzle. his double converging part leads to a parallel length of pipe f forminga throat way which again slowly diverges in the expanding art g. By means of t diverging nozzles and pipsfluid passing in the direction of the arrow 'X may be under less pres sure in the pipe (1 than in the pipe g, as is well portions of t different from the form shown in1F' 1, to

sults.. It may 1 tinuous taper similar to the first part orm'ay form with it a.continuous curve. In Fig. 2 which is a' suitable-form of in'-.

understood. The first converging part of the .cone e is shown in the drawing shorter and more rapid than the second part in order to provide an easy passage forthe fluid without serious shock and to avoid an efcessive length of cone. This I havefound to be the form which in practice produces the best reowever be made with 'a con tensifier forhigh degrees of vacuum, the roe various parts. are slig tly deal with large volumes of yapor an conse arrangement 0 large amount ofcold, or to deal with large amounts of vapor in chemical or evaporative processes. In effect this in a climate such as that ofEnglan to obtain a suffici ent degree of cold for say cold storage urposes,

I employ a good air pump ca ab e of exhausting to 2" of mercury abso ute, assisted by my yacuum intensifier and a cooler, and.

mamtam a vacuum in the main condenser of from i to 1 ,of mercury absolute pressure- Into the main condenser'l arrange charge another vacuum intensifier, the latter bein preferably .of much larger size and of suita e proportions of jet to discharge neck for dealing efficiently with the much higher vacuum and largpr volume. The latter in-' tensifier draws t e vapor from the evapo rative chamber containing the fluid tobe:

cooled, such as water, brine, etc. which when to' disa cooled, is circulated through pipes, or aplied in any well known manner. It is well own of course that water, or mixture of water with common salt, sulfateof soda, and

other well known salts,-is rapidly cooled .by.

evaporation and ebullition when subjected to high vacua, 1

other means. ;-A suitab splant forobtaining such deagitation or b grees of cold is acing it in shal ow pans, or by spraying,

surface bein'gexposed 10a own in Fig. '3, where an tensifier p is arran d'to draw from an evaporator 0 which is a out half filled with brine.

This intensifier p is connected by. a pipe'with a surface condenser which is prov ded with an intensifier, 3 ,an auxiliary cooler, 4, connected to. an air ump 7c as in m beforementioned patent. Ihe air pump, condensed vapor-and non-condensable Out of the condenser 1' through the pipe m,

, p mp t e which is providedwith a dipseal n, lnto the I hotwellx The evaporator chamber communicatesby means of a pipe r with a circulating pump a which passes the cooled brine through the refrigerating coils 5 in. a freezing or cold 7 storage chamber 6 and back throu h the pipesu to s ray pipes 11, v, placed in t eupper part' oft e eva orat' vessel 0. l

A g glass 7 i; pro' v ic ied for indicating the'leve o pipe 3 and valve z are-provided for the urthe brine in the chamber 0 and a pose of leading water frornthe hot wellto the .forernentioned 3mm. The gpe which brine cltamber order to te for eva' ion. evalvez'm'a f by'hznd or automatically. Theacticn of a pa'ratiis is as follows: 5 The'conden'ser? with its air pump k and intensifier substrate *zhsempom' cham-' bet a iandisof itself capable ofp barometric height."* e -intensifier ppro duces astill higherdegree of' exhaustion to anabsolute pressure equal to about 1/10th inch of mercury or less thus causing the brine to evaporate rapidly. The-vapor thus produced is drawn ofi by the intensifier p and disc d into the condenser j where it is-cooled an condensedalong with the steam from the intensifier jet.

-" The heat necessary for the evaporation of the brine is takenfrom the brine itself which in consequence .isrend'eredintensely cold.

This cold brine is drawn ofi'continually b the circulating pump sand passed throng the refrigerator coils 5 where it absorbs heat from the chamber 6 .or from. the articles placed in the chamber for -the pu oses of refrigeration. The heated brine t en returns to the evaporative chamber through the spray tubes v and so the cycle of operation goes on.

If a higher vacuum or greater degrees of cold than are possible with the foregoing ar: rangement, or substantially similar de ees of vacua or cold in very hot climates w ere the circulating water is at a high initial temperature, be required, I employ the cooled medium-to increase the efiect of an intensifier cooler or condenser. In this case I add a third vacuum intensifier,-discharging-into a third cooler or condenser, and, tomake 40 this cooler more effective, I circulate through it water or brine cooled-during its path by being subjected to the vacuum of the suction sideof .the second intensifier, either in a separate chamber or during its passage through the circulating part of the condenser itself, but I sometimes prefer to place a fourth vacuum intensifier in parallel with a the second intensifier above referred to, the

sole function of which is toexhaust from,

and thereby cool, the brine for circulation in this third cooler, By'this means a greater rarlizge of temperature can be covered.

1g, 4 shows an arrangement for obtaining such increased vacua or degrees "of cold,

- where the first intensifier 1 draws the vapor or other fluid direct from the chamber to be evacuated and exhausts into a cooler or condenser h, the circulating fluid of which is ar-.

tificiallycooled inanys'uitablemanner. From so this cooler the vapor or other fluid is drawn by means of a second intensifier 2. This second intensifier disch es into'the main condenser j'which is provi ed with a vacuum v intensifier 3 Working in conjunction with a pump, 7:, in the mannerdescribed in my bew 1 p vacuum of-within saaaboutlj inches of through the i the eve all by any suitable -va was indicated in ig. 4 controlled by the connects theicondenser to epic is" rov dedwith adip sea a, whic prevents he vapor exhaustedfrom the condenser 7' from finding its way back. The intermediate condenser h, is also connected to the 'air ump through the pipe m.

Itwill be seen that the first intensifier 1 draws the vapor or other fluid fromthe chamber to be evacuated. This vapo r together with the steam from the jet in the evacuator 1 p to'the intermediate c'on denser h where some-of the steam is condensed and drawn off into the" air pump n while the air and va r are drawn 0 t ohgh the second intensi er 2, from which theypass to the condenser-j there to-be dealt with in the manner described in my beforementioned patent.

In addition to the arrangement described, I may use a brine eva 'rator o operatin in conjunction with the a ove so as to re use a cold fluid for circulating through t e condenser tubes. This arrangement of my apparatus may also be described with reference to 'Fig. 4; The evaporator o is provlded. with an evacuator or intensifier p which may conveniently work in parallel with the intensifier 2, in series with themtensifier 3, and feed into the main condenser At the bottom of the brineevaporator 0 there is provided an openi q from which a pipe 1' leads to a centrifuga mp s. This pump delivers to .the interme iate condenser.

by the pipe t and the hot brine is led away 10'0 from the condenser by the pi u, backto the evaporator '0. The pipe u i ads to an internal i 0 which is placed in the upper space 0 t e evaporator and is provided w th a number of perforations through which the 165 hot brine passes in fine streams'as' shown in the figures, thus presenting a large surface forevaporation. I

Without interfering with'the operation 'of g the intensifiers,sl, 2 and 1) other steam up paratus may be arranged to discharge into the main condenser 7' provided that its cool 'ing area bemade large enough and the required circulation of coolin fluid be maintained. For instance in re i'gerati plant onboard ship thecondenser 1 may e the main condenser of the ship's engines. As; is well understood the vacuum in rator 0 causes ;the bum to evapo rate an in doing so itiabstracts heat from itself-thus maintaining a good cooling medium for the condenser 71. V The air pump]: is provided with 'a dis: charge ipe w which leads to the hot well 2:. From't e hot well- I may provide a pipe y 125 leading, to the evaporator 0 and having a valve 2 adapted to be operated automaticear such as a ball float water level within the evaporator or byhand ively cold brine is 7 trial in which mred a rationthe o nmg of the valve 2 ans; water to flow fi'om the hot well to the evaporator and thus compensate for .any loss a -be desired I may ar'range the intensifier} to draw, as shown in the diagram Fig. 5', from mother cooler 0 having within itvery strong brine or fluid witha very low freezing point, suitable means being provided for mak ng. up for the brine eva rated. excessw -I do not restrict the use 0 this apparatus to water or water vapor, but I may use other liquids having higher or lower vapor densities. I may also use a number of inten-' sifiers in combination with an equal or less number of coolers'in series, for the purpose of condensing or exhausting air or gas or va r. 'My invention may be agplied to in ushig vacua are res. g; in the evaporation of sugar or t e fractionating of. c emicalsubstances. In the case of sugar evaporation, the intensifier'draws from the pan.

invention and desire atent is:-

What I claim as m to secure by Letters v1. In combination for the production of high vacua, a chamber to be evacuated, a

plant, a chamber'to-be lurality ofvacuum intensifiers to raw from said chamber in series said intenl 1 ed in size from-the dlifimber qm r dfcgddgnsers alternat' descri d.

2. In high vacua coolingror condensing evacuated, a vacuum intensifier drawing directl from saidchamber, acondenser' towhic theairand va r from the chain r and intensifier are charged, an air pump connected b apasy sage to the lower part of the con enser, a

vacuum intensifier drawing from' the con con-. the air pump with the condenser and e a dip seal in said passage, substantially as denser and discharging-into the.

d escrllliledlixg1i e ed 3. vacua coo or con ensing' lantfa chamber to be bug I enser, a passage connecting said chamber from the chamber, means or. cooling the circulating fluidin said cene e i 9ndcondenser .orative cooler for the a second vacuum intensifier in the with said substantially as 'tially as described.

evacuated anda con-- erases as desired. Thus when the brine in the evaporator falls below a certain level, due to denser aseccndeendenssr apassage' connecttwo condensers a second vacuum intensifier in the passage drawing from the first-condenser, an air pump dra densedfluidt adipsealfrom see a third intensifier operatic "saw-" eizure-s a s. connec air wi the fi iftcgingfinsensubstan lftgaglly as descn 'bed. 4. n vacua coo or H m e. '1 slant, a chamber to be evacuated and ban enser, a assage connec sai e and conde dser, a vacuum iiigensifier in said passage drawing from the chamber an evapcircuia medium in said condenser, a second condenser a passage-connecting the two condensers drawingfromthefirstcondensenanair drawingcondensed fluid through a dip from the second condenserand a third intensifier operating in series with said air pump, and a passage ha adip seal connecting the air ump with t stanti' yas described.

5'. In h vacua cooling or condensmg' lant, a cfimber'to evacuated and a consensor connected therewith by a passage' a vacuum intensifierinsaid dra from the chamber, asecon conenser con: n'ectedbya i I avacuum inte rjn this ing from the first into the secon condenser, a circulating fluid coo chamber, a passage connecting the cooling c said from the circulating tensifier working and, 1:: 'dip seals both condensers with the air pump, substan- 6. In high vacua, 'orecondensing condenser,

ber with the sec- 'ond condenser and a vacuum intensifier infirst condenser. subioo lant employing vacuum evaporative chamrs and aum ingu from the% rationthe fluid being fed into the 'evapora tive chambers by atmospheric pressure, substantially as described;

Inffestimony whereof I have signed niy specification in the presumed name to this two subscribing wi lee P Mm automatic means for mak uid withdrawn by the vacue 'um evice for the loss of fluid due to evapo- 198 cnmmgs imsi sor masons; 

